Queen Mary: QM2's Evil Stepmother, The World's Scariest Ship

In honour of Halloween, we thought we would have a look at the legendary former Cunard liner and Art Deco steamer RMS Queen Mary – sure it no longer hits the high seas but if you are up for a little bit of spine-tingling, inexplicable paranormal activity, and you happen to be in California, be sure to visit Queen Mary, if you dare! (Cue maniacal laugh)

Launched in 1934 and now permanently docked in Long Beach, California, the Queen Mary operates as a floating hotel and major historic attraction with legendary ghost tours stemming from its status as the world's most haunted cruise ship. This reputation has come about as a result of the very high level of paranormal activity reported over the years by staff and visitors. Reports of haunted happenings include the plaintiff cry of a child in the third-class children's playroom and wet footprints, also at the pool -- even though no one is swimming! This concentration of spooky events makes it no surprise that the Queen Mary has been voted one of the Top 10 Most Haunted Places in America by Time magazine.

Queen Mary’s history includes 1,001 Atlantic crossings before retiring in 1967. During World War Two from 1940 to 1946, it carried a total of 765,429 military personnel. Fifty people reportedly died onboard over the years, and it is said some of those who perished, never left. (Cue ghoulish moaning)

Queen Mary’s most haunted areas and paranormal hotspots are up for exploration with a series of twilight tours and séances that examine the haunted past and paranormal activity that the Queen Mary is known for...the Tours at Night include Dining With the Spirits, Paranormal Investigation and Paranormal Spirit Walk.

The Twilight Historical Tour is the evening version of The Glory Days Historical Tour and takes a comprehensive look at Queen Mary’s incredible past - her groundbreaking construction, her time as a troopship during WWII and her halcyon days as the world’s most luxurious and technologically advanced ocean liner.

Before you embrace the witching hour, and take on a spooky tour, you can prepare yourself with some high quality cuisine at the Spirits Fine Dining and Ghost and Haunted History Tour option. On this tour visitors get to enjoy a really first class dining experience at Sir Winston’s Restaurant and Lounge and the chance to enjoy a good meal prior to facing Queen Mary’s murky depths! Guided by a trained paranormal guide, you then explore the Queen Mary’s most notorious paranormal hotspots and hear the very scary but true tales of the ship’s haunted past.

For fans of The Twilight Zone or the X- Files, or for anyone with a penchant for the paranormal and spooky side of life – the Queen Mary is the place for you. This is because the Queen Mary takes it all very seriously with a full time paranormal investigator on staff, ParaXplorer Project founder Matthew Schulz. On these special tours you get to join Matthew as he leads guest investigators into the depths of the RMS Queen Mary and its most haunted locations, including those not available to the general public. This is all part and parcel of attempting to connect with spirits allegedly who have unfinished business and can never leave the ship!

Reported paranormal hotspots explored include a selection from the following: infamous First Class Swimming Pool, where wet footprints, inexplicably appear beside the pool; you also get to visit the sites like the Engine Room, the Isolation Ward and the Wheelhouse, and with the unpredictability of ghosts and inhabitants of the Underworld, each tour is always different.

Matthew also uses all the relevant special equipment – whilst not quite of the Ghostbusters ilk, tour participants do get to use handheld monitoring equipment, share captured evidence and participate in group Electronic Voice Phenomenon (EVP) recording sessions that place you squarely in an investigation environment.

So if you want to, no need to step into the Dark Side, adn feel the hairs on the back of your neck rise, well, come aboard the Queen Mary. What? You’re too scared? There are things that happen on board that have no rational explanation?! You can’t be too scared - or are you? Because we know that “you’re not afraid of no ghost!” (Bet you will have Ghostbusters theme song in your head all day now.)

The experience of travel changes a person. I see my job as highlighting what amazing travel opportunities there are to broaden your knowledge of that great big world beyond your doorstep and what you may learn about yourself on the way.